


Missed Kiss

by hoffkk



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi, SnowBarry - Freeform, caitlicity, girl talk, golden vibe, killer vibe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-07-08
Packaged: 2018-04-01 06:50:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4010032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoffkk/pseuds/hoffkk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a couple days, since Caitlin's kiss with "Fake Barry" and she can't stop thinking about it, much to her frustration.  So, what's a girl to do, but talk it out with her besties?!  But what happens when one of them inadvertently spills the beans to Barry?  Well, things get interesting...to say the least!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Girl Talk

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is snowbarry based with a little shout out to olicity. Enjoy! ;)  
> p.s. I apologize for any errors, grammatical or otherwise.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unable to sleep due to thoughts of Barry and their "missed kiss", Caitlin has a midnight chat with Felicity to figure out her feelings.

It was two-thirty in the morning and Caitlin Snow was wide awake.  About two hours ago, she had thrown on her favorite pajamas, a blue and gray STAR Labs t-shirt with matching flannel pants, and crawled into bed intent on falling right asleep.  However, her brain had other ideas as images of Barry and her kissing kept dancing around behind her eyelids.  _Stop it, Cait! It wasn't even real!_  She kept chanting to herself.  Laying on her back, she pulled her floral, maroon and white comforter closer to her chest and closed her eyes tighter, willing herself to sleep.

It was the second night since her kiss with "Fake Barry" aka Everyman aka Hannibal Bates, and just like the previous night, she was restless, tossing and turning into the wee hours of the morning.  _What the hell is the matter with me?  Barry is my FRIEND.  Nothing more_.  She tells herself for the fiftieth time that night.  Heaving a big sigh, Caitlin opens her eyes and stares at the ceiling.  Sure, Barry was cute and sweet and smart, but she had never thought about him in _that_ way.  Not really.  Okay...maybe a little when she heard him sing karaoke that night at the bar, but his voice _was_ amazing.  Not mention, she had a good bit of alcohol flowing through her system.  Yes, the alcohol.  She could blame her attraction on the alcohol that night, but what was her excuse now?

In an attempt to make herself more comfortable, Caitlin turned to lie on her side, curling up into a ball.  Not the best idea for now she was staring at her side table, more specifically at her framed photograph of Team Flash.  It was the photo Barry had taken of them all the day Hartley came back to town.  It was a group photo, but all Caitlin could see was Barry and his adorable smile.  With a huff, she reached out and grabbed the picture frame, turning it face down, so she could no longer see the picture inside of it.  She noticed her tablet sitting next to the photo and snatched it before bringing her hand back.  She decided she might as well be productive if she wasn't going to sleep.  Sitting up with her back against the head board and her feet stretched out in front of her, Caitlin decided to check her social media apps first.  Skimming through her Facebook feed, she noticed a green dot next to Felicity's name in her chat box.  She thought about sending Felicity a message, but before she could decide, she heard her phone ping, indicating a text message.  Puzzled, Caitlin grabbed her phone, which was on the other nightstand opposite the one her tablet had been on, unplugged it from its charger, and smiled at the text.  It was from Felicity.

**_Hey, you awake? Sorry if you're not...it's just that facebook indicates that you are, and I can't sleep so... I thought maybe we could chat.  I mean if not, no biggie.  I can just call you tomorrow, well technically it would be today...later today...much later.  Okay I am stopping now :) -F_ **

Caitlin shook her head and chuckled softly.  Only Felicity could manage to babble through text.

**_Yes, I'm awake...unfortunately.  lol .  What's up? -C_ **

Seconds later, inside of a ping, she heard a whimsical tune come from her phone.  Felicity was calling her.

"Hey, Lis." She greeted cheerfully.  After spending all day every day working with a group of guys, Caitlin relishes any time she can chat with someone of the female variety, especially Felicity.  They have so much in common and have become really close.  At least, as close as friends can be while living in two different cities.

"Hey, Cait!  I didn't wake you did I?"

"No, you're good. Just having a hard time falling asleep.  So, how are things in Starling?" Caitlin questioned.

"Er, um..."  Felicity didn't want to lie to her closest female friend, but she wasn't sure she was ready to talk about the whole sleeping with Oliver and leaving him with league of assassins thing.  She settled for a vague half-truth.  "Things are kind of complicated at the moment."

Caitlin was concerned.  She was expecting a long babble, but got a short sentence.  Plus, something in her friend's tone was off.  "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, no worries.  Everything is gonna be fine."  _I hope_.  Felicity added silently.  "So how's Team Flash?"

"Pretty good.  Same old, same old."  Caitlin answered, suddenly remembering their most recent battle with Everyman and that kiss...

"How's Barry?" Felicity wondered aloud.  She knew he was having a hard time last week when she was in town visiting.  During that time, Barry had confided his troubles about Dr. Wells in Felicity.  She didn't want to break his trust and tell Cait anything specific; it also wasn't her secret to tell, so she kept her question vague in attempt to stealthily gather some intel.

Caitlin's thoughts were suddenly jarred at Felicity's words. "What?  B-Barry?  He-he's good.  I mean I assume he is good.  It's not like I know his every emotion or anything, not without my machines anyway."

"Okay..." Felicity responded in an amused tone.  Apparently she was rubbing off on her friend.  "So, he's acting normal then?  He just seemed a little off the last time I saw him."  She probed further.

"Yeah, he was dealing with something...still is, but he's handling it.  We all are."

"Well, I'm glad you've got his back." Felicity said, understanding Caitlin knows what she does, but also wants to keep the Wells' situation on the down-low.

"Of course, he's my friend _and_ my partner...and by partner, I mean in crime. Well, crime fighting.  I just mean that we're colleagues, working together to keep the city safe...in a purely platonic fashion.  _Geez, Cait.  Breathe_!  She scolded herself.  She so wants to kill Bates for messing with her head like this.

"Are you alright, Cait?" Felicity said, sounding more amused than concerned.

"Yeah, why?" Caitlin played dumb, hoping her friend would drop it.  No such luck.

"Cause you keep babbling.  I'm starting to feel like I'm talking to myself over here."  It was true too.  Caitlin was reminding Felicity of herself when she first joined Team Arrow.  Oliver had made her so nervous in the beginning with his intimidating demeanor...and perfectly sculpted body.  She would get so flustered by even just the thought of him, that she would unconsciously speak in innuendos and babble like- _oh my god_.  Felicity's mouth popped open and her eyes grew at least twice their normal size, as things suddenly became a lot more clear.  She was so glad Caitlin couldn't see her face right now.

"Sorry, it's just been a long day, and I'm getting tired..."  Caitlin tried to explain.

Felicity couldn't help the smirk that formed on her lips as she replied, "Maybe if you were talking to someone else, that excuse would suffice, but you're not.  You're talking me, Felicity Smoak, The Babble Queen."

"And your point is?" Caitlin asked wryly.

"That I know very well that babbling is something one does when they are nervous, not tired.  So, my dear friend Caitlin...what is making you so nervous?  Or should I say _who_? Felicity teased.

"I have no idea to with what you are referring."  Caitlin stated innocently.

Felicity was so gonna make her squirm.  "Let's look back and examine the evidence, shall we?  I asked you how Barry was and you babbled in response, then I commented on your friendship with Barry and you made a Freudian slip of sorts and tried to explain it away with yet another babble."

"So?"  It was lame, but Caitlin didn't have a better response.  She was hoping to avoid this conversation, but damn, Felicity knew her, and babbling, all too well.  Not to mention she is one smart woman.  Caitlin should have known that she wouldn't have been able to hide this from Lis.

"Soooo, does my little Caity-Cat have a crush?" Felicity inquired mischievously.  If they were talking face-to-face, she would be wiggling her eyebrows right now in a suggestive manner just to annoy her friend that much more.

Cait half smiled as she spoke. "A crush, seriously?  What are we...15?"

"Don't avoid the question, Dr. Snow." Felicity stated in a more serious tone.  She was so not getting out of this one.

"Ask a better question, Ms. Smoak."  Caitlin threw back.

"Oh, come on, Cait, are there some sparks flying around STAR Labs or what?"

"Look, Lis, it's...not like that.  It's not what you think."  Caitlin wanted to explain herself , but she didn't know how.

Felicity misinterpreted her friend's confusion for playful annoyance, so she decided to tease her a little more.  After all, it wasn't too often that she got to play the teaser rather than the tease-ee.  "Caitlin and Barry sitting in a tree..." She sang jovially, "K-I-S-S-

Caitlin was officially fed up.  Not with Felicity, but with the situation at hand, and when she got angry, she liked to examine the facts.  Thinking logically was her way of coping and calming down.  So, before Felicity could finish her little rhyme she blurted, "It didn't happen in a tree, we kissed in the lab."  Caitlin never did understand that rhyme.  Kissing in a tree sounded utterly ridiculous to her.

Shocked yet again, Felicity half shouted "Holy frack!  You actually kissed him?!"

"Yes.  I mean, no.  I mean..." Caitlin took a deep breath, "technically, _he_ kissed _me_ , and, technically, _he_ wasn't _really_ Barry."

"Okay, explain that sentence."  Felicity commanded somewhat perplexed and desperately wanting details.

"It's kind of a long story."

"That's fine.  I could use a good bedtime story right about now."  Felicity wasn't letting up.  She didn't care what time it was, she needed to hear this story NOW.

"Okay, fine, but this stays between the two of us."  Caitlin affirmed.

"Deal."  Felicity agreed as she made herself more comfortable under her teal and white Aztec print comforter.

"So," Caitlin began, "a couple of days ago, we were up against this new metahuman, Everyman."

"Everyman?" Felicity quirked a brow.

"His real name is Hannibal Bates; he has the ability to copy a person's genetic structure and shape-shift into that person.  All he has to do is touch them."

"Wow," Felicity remarked, "I'm not sure what's creepier, his powers...or his name."

"Me either." Caitlin agreed.  It was impossible to relax as she was telling this story, therefore, she found herself sitting on her bed Indian style with her back ram-rod straight as she fidgeted with the covers on her lap.  "Anyway, I was in the lab formulating a serum that would be able to temporarily stop Everyman's powers, when Barry walked in.  I was mixing the last of the chemicals together, explaining how it would work, and suddenly he spun me around and...and he kissed me."  Caitlin was glad her friend couldn't see her face at this moment.  She was doing two things she was ashamed to admit: smiling and blushing.

"Just like that?"  _Wow, maybe Barry does have some game after all_.  Felicity kept the latter comment to herself.

"Yep." Caitlin confirmed, biting her lower lip as she tried to figure out how to explain the rest.

"That's quite romantic, you know, with the spontaneity of it all."  Felicity smiled into her phone.

"That's what I thought too," Caitlin said honestly, "...until Dr. Wells came in a few minutes later, tasered  him, then explained how he was actually Bates pretending to be Barry."

"Oh... _Oh_."  Felicity responded as everything Cait just told her finally clicked into place.  "That-That's unfortunate."  She was trying hard to contain her laughter and failing miserably, but with that lovely picture that her friend just painted, how could she not laugh?

"Stop it, Lis!  It's not funny!"  Cait whined.

"Sorry, Cait, but it kind of is."  She explained, still chuckling.

"No, it's not.  It's humiliating!  This weirdo kissed me and I..."  Caitlin trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought.

"You what?"  Felicity turned serious again.

Caitlin let out a breath and ran a hand through her loose hanging hair before responding, "I liked it."  Her cheeks were red again; she could feel the heat.

"Cait, relax.  It was an honest mistake; he looked exactly like Barry.  I probably would have kissed him back too.  If I was you, I mean."  Felicity had to amend that last part for after her time in Nanda Parbat with Oliver, she couldn't even imagine wanting to kiss anyone else.  Ever.

"It's not just that..." Caitlin continued, anxiety evident in her voice.

"Then what is it?  What has got you so riled up about this?" Felicity wondered aloud.  She could hear the stress emanating from her friends words.

"That stupid kiss is all I can think about, Lis!  I have barely slept at all in the past two nights because every time that I close my eyes, all I can see is images of him...of us...kissing.  It's so frustrating!"

"Why?" Felicity asked, genuinely curious.  Images of cute guys usually lull her into a peaceful slumber.

"Because!  This is _Barry_!  My _friend_ Barry.  This just...wasn't supposed to happen.  I wasn't supposed to feel this way...and now things are awkward between us, and I don't know how to fix it."

"Wait...does he know what happened?" Felicity queried, wondering if she missed something.

"Of course not!"  Caitlin affirmed. "But _I_ know, and that's enough...enough to keep me acutely aware of how close he may be standing or of how good he may be looking, which then makes me either say or do something awkward."

"Well, maybe you _should_ tell him.  Next time you see him, just tell him everything and clear the air.  It would probably make you feel better."

"No way, that would be mortifying.  Besides, what would I even say? 'Hey, Barry.  I thought I kissed you the other day, and now I have feelings for you, but it turns out it was a meta that I kissed instead, so yeah, just thought you should know!'"

"Personally, I would go with something a little more subtle..."  Felicity critiqued.

"Ha.  Ha." Caitlin replied dryly.

"In all seriousness though, I think that you and Barry would make a pretty cute couple."  That was putting it mildly.  Felicity was in love with the idea of them being a couple and was already planning their wedding in her head.  She wouldn't let Caitlin know that though.  The poor girl was freaking out enough already.

Caitlin smiled at her words, but it didn't last long before it fell.  "Except, I don't even know how he feels about me."

"That's why you need to talk to him."  Felicity insisted, restating her point from earlier.

"But if it doesn't work out, or even if it does, it would change things...and not just between us.  It would affect the entire team."  Caitlin was a realist and a scientist; she couldn't help but logically analyze the situation.

Felicity understood her friends apprehension all too well, so she knew just what to say.  "Cait, _believe me_ , I know that putting your heart out there can be scary, but if our second job has taught us anything, it's that life is short and anything is possible.  So, don't be afraid to go after what you really want."  Caitlin mulled this over for a moment as she gnawed on her thumbnail.  Felicity took the silence as her cue to continue.  "Think of it this way, every day we risk our lives fighting for our cities.  Why?  Because we love them, and we love the people that live there...our friends, families, colleagues...everyone.  Every day, we take these risks for no other reason than pure, unadulterated love, so...at the end of the day, what's one more risk?"

Caitlin took Felicity's words to heart, and was almost convinced that she could talk to Barry and bear her soul to him like Felicity advised.  There was just one other thing holding her back...

"I get what you're saying, I do.  It's just, I think we both know that Barry's heart beats for someone else."

Iris West.  Caitlin and Felicity both like her just fine; she is a good person and a great friend to Barry, but he has been torturing himself with his feelings for her for a while now.

"I know it may seem that way, but, deep down, Barry isn't in love with Iris.   He only thinks that he is."

"What do you mean?" Caitlin was totally confused.  She works with Barry every day, and if there is one thing she is sure of it's his feelings for Iris.

"Barry...he grew up with Iris.  They've known each other all their lives.  Most importantly, she was there for him during the _worst_ time of his life."

They both knew she was referring to the murder of his mother and later incarceration of his father.  Poor Barry, no child should ever have to grow up without their parents.

"I know.  It's no wonder he fell head over heels."  Caitlin leaned back against the headboard again, exhausted and exasperated.

"That's just it,  he didn't.  Those experiences allowed Barry to create a strong bond with Iris, so strong that it felt like true love, but it wasn't.  Barry's never been in a real relationship before, he doesn't really know what being in love is, what it really means."

"Well, psychology isn't exactly my forte, but I suppose that makes sense." Caitlin allowed.

"Don't get me wrong, Barry's not a lost cause.  He just needs to meet the right woman; someone who's gonna love him back the same way he loves her: passionately, perfectly, and with everything he is."  Felicity hopes he really does find this woman too; he deserves that much.  There was a time when Felicity would have considered herself a contender, but not anymore.  That time has long since passed.  Caitlin, on the other hand, appears to be a very promising candidate.

"You think I have a shot?" Caitlin nearly whispered.

"Absolutely."

Caitlin couldn't see Felicity's face, but she knew she was smiling.  She could hear it in her friend's voice.  There was sudden lull in the conversation, but it wasn't awkward.

"Well," Felicity started, breaking the silence between them. "I should probably go and try to get some sleep.  You gonna be okay?"

Caitlin glanced at her vintage-style alarm clock. It was about ten til three.  She sighed. "Yeah...I just have a lot to think about."

"Don't think too hard," Felicity teased.  Goodnight, Cait."

"Night, Lis.  And thanks."

"Just doing my best friend duty.  Love ya."

"You too." Caitlin said before ending the call.

She plugged her phone back in to charge and suddenly felt drained.  Caitlin decided to call it a night too, placing her tablet back in its original place on her night stand.  Her hand lingered on the tablet as she stared at the overturned photo frame next to it.  Giving in almost too easily, she turned the frame right-side up and curled back up under the covers.  She lay on her side, staring at the photo with a smile, until she could no longer keep her eyes open, leaving it to the mental images of Barry and their "missed kiss" to soothe her into a peaceful sleep.


	2. Cisco Knows Best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After talking with Felicity, Caitlin is still unsure of what to do, so she gets a second opinion from her other best friend, Cisco.

Barry Allen was confused.  Caitlin had been acting really weird lately, and he couldn't figure out why.  Every time he walked into the room, she startled.  Every time he came near her, she moved away.  Every time he talked to her, she would end up babbling like a certain blonde IT girl he knew.  Barry would be lying if he said he wasn't concerned about her, in fact, his worry for Caitlin was starting to keep him up at night.  It wasn't just the way she was acting though, but the fact that she only seemed to act that way around _him_.

"You're reading too much into it, man...she's fine." Cisco assured.

"Maybe..." Barry offered.

"This whole evil Wells thing probably just has her on edge.  It has us _all_ on edge."  Cisco pointed out as they rounded the corner of the hallway, heading to their main work area in STAR Labs.

Barry just shrugged then rubbed the back of his neck with one hand as he mulled things over.  _He's right.  I'm over thinking things.  This has nothing to do with me_.  Barry told himself.

The guys walked through the door and into the main lab, finding Caitlin working with some test tubes, analyzing blood samples.  "Hey, Cait." Called Cisco as he made his way to his usual work station.

"Hey, Cisco,"  She smiled, "Barry." She nodded less affectionately.

He decided to ignore her less than enthusiastic greeting.  "What are you working on?"  Barry asked, coming to stand beside her.

"Just running some tests on our latest metahuman, Mr. Bates.  Hopefully I can find something in his blood to help us better identify someone with his abilities.  He may be dead now, but who knows how many others are running around out there with powers like his."  Caitlin explained, making reference to Wells' latest plan, which used Bates to trick the team, which ultimately resulted in the metahuman's untimely end.

"You're right.  Smart thinking." Barry replied as he stepped a little bit closer, examining her computer screen.  As he did so, Caitlin took a step away from him, knocking her elbow into one of the test tube holders on the table, causing it to fall and shatter all over the floor.

Though irritated with her reaction, he kept his face neutral.  "I got it."  He said, and before anyone could respond, the mess was cleaned, and the floor was sparkling.

"Sorry." She muttered.

Before he could probe further about her actions, his phone rang.

"Hello?   Hey, Joe.  Ok...be there in a flash."  He grinned, ending the call.  "Looks like CCPD needs my forensic skills."

"Nice pun." Cisco praised, while Caitlin half-smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Not it wasn't," she teased, "way too cheesy."

"C'mon, you know you liked it."  Barry teased back.

"Just go to your crime scene already."  She brushed him off playfully, shaking her head,  putting an end to their banter.

Barry smiled at her response before speeding away, glad she was acting more herself, at least for the moment.

"Okay he's gone.  Spill."  Cisco demanded, spinning his chair to face her.

"Excuse me?"  She said, not expecting the words that came from his mouth.

"Something is clearly bothering you."  He stated matter-of-factly.  "You've been acting weird, since we put Bates behind bars."

"I-I'm fine."  She tried to sound reassuring, but wavered a bit.  Caitlin wasn't in peril or anything, but she definitely was _not_ fine.  After kissing "Fake Barry" aka Bates in disguise, all these feelings (for Barry) suddenly came to life inside her, and she didn't know how to handle it.  She had recently talked about the incident with her best friend, Felicity, who encouraged her to pursue the feelings that she is having, but Caitlin wasn't convinced.  She wasn't sure she wanted to risk her friendship with Barry.  Things could get messy, not to mention awkward if he didn't feel the same way.

"Well, Barry would say otherwise." Cisco responded, picking up his large red slushy from the table behind him and taking a loud slurp.

"What do you mean?"  She queried.  "Did he say something to you?  I mean, has he been asking about me?"  She probed further, sounding like a 13 year old girl who had her first crush.

"He may have mentioned once or twice that you seemed a bit off."  Cisco said casually, stirring the contents of the cup with his straw.  _Once or twice my ass_.  Cisco thought to himself.  _That boy brings you up every chance he gets._

At first, Cisco thought Barry was just being a concerned friend, but now he was starting to get the idea that his feelings had nothing to do with friendship.  Either way, Cisco didn't really care, but if it was the latter, he was so calling dibs on picking their ship name.  After all, he _was_ the best moniker maker.

"Oh."  Caitlin replied, simply, walking over to sit on the edge of a table that sat across from Cisco's workstation.  They sat in silence for a moment, until Cisco spoke up.

"Look, I get that you might not wanna talk to Barry about whatever is going on with you, but I'm your best friend.  You can tell me anything."  He asserted, getting up from his chair.  Cisco placed his cup back on his desk and walked over to sit next to Caitlin, arms crossed over his chest, hiding his Big Bang Theory t-shirt from view.  "So, as I said before.... _spill_."

Caitlin let out a loud breath.  He was right, they were best friends, and as such he deserved to know the truth.  Besides, maybe a second opinion would help her to figure things out.

"Okay, so, here's the thing..."  She began, launching into the story of how Bates shape-shifted into Barry and kissed her senseless.

"Okay, I was not expecting that." He said finally.

"Yeah, well, me either."  She nodded.

"So...you like Barry."  Cisco stated, reiterating what his friend had just confided to him, making sure he understood.

"Yes." She said simply, staring at the black heels she was wearing to avoid Cisco's gaze as a blush crept over her cheeks.

Cisco noticed and smirked before replying in a sing song voice, "You think he's _gorgeous_ , you want to _kiss_ him, you want to _hug_ him, you want to-- ouch!"  Cisco finished, faking hurt as Caitlin slapped him in the side of the arm with the back of her hand.

Caitlin was trying not to smile when she responded, "That's enough."  Then, she quickly eyed her friend and warned, "I know how to perform a lobotomy, remember?"

"I'm done.  I promise." Cisco assured, raising his hands in surrender.

"And really?  A _Miss Congeniality_ quote?"  She queried.

"Hey, that movie is awesome, and Sandra Bullock is gold!" Cisco defended.

Caitlin just shook her head at her friend as she pushed some reddish brown locks behind her ear.

"Seriously, though, I'm happy for you."  Cisco admitted, nudging her arm with his own.

"Really?"  She asked, looking him in the eyes and noting his sincerity.

"Yeah, I mean, I know you had a rough time dealing with Ronnie's death and everything, so I'm glad that you have found someone else who makes you feel that way, someone who makes you feel special."  Cisco elaborated.

"Thanks."  She smiled, nudging him back as she did so.

"So, what are you gonna do about it?"  Cisco questioned, referring to her feelings for Barry.

Suddenly, Caitlin's smile vanished and all her worries and frustrations came flooding back.  She sighed before responding, "I have no idea."

"Well..." Cisco started.  "I think the next logical step would be to tell Barry how you feel."

"That would be logical,"  Caitlin nodded.  "but it would also be terrifying."

"C'mon, Cait, it's just Barry." He said as he pulled his hair back into a man-bun.

"I know, but what if he doesn't feel the same way?  Things could become really awkward between us."

"Yeah, I don't think you have to worry about that."  Cisco cut her off, then pushed himself up from the table to grab another sip of his slushy, smirking as he made his way across the small gap between the table and his desk.  He took a big slurp as he studied Caitlin's confused expression.

"What do you mean?"  She asked as she moved to standing position in front of the table and crossed her arms over her black and beige polka-dotted blouse.

"Look,"  he said, putting his drink down and leaning against his own desk.  "I can't break the bro-code, but what I can tell you is that I am pretty sure that Barry would not be put off by the idea of you two as a couple."

Caitlin gave him a skeptical look, then replied, "You're _pretty_ sure... that he wouldn't be _put off_?  Gee, that's reassuring."  She rolled her eyes and sat back down, feeling even more depressed.

Cisco let out a loud breath as he tried to figure out how to better explain himself.  He wanted to just flat out tell her that Barry hasn't stopped talking about her since the whole Bate's ordeal, and that even before that, he has seen the way the two of them interact together and can tell that there is a vibe there, a strong vibe...but he didn't want to break Barry's trust.  However, Caitlin was just as much of a friend to Cisco as Barry was, maybe even more, after all, they have known each other longer.  So, Cisco opted to tell Caitlin the truth, but a vague version of it. 

"Okay, let me try this again..." He stated as he walked back over to Caitlin and sat next to her once more, then continued.  "I have eyes, Cait, and I have seen the way that he looks at you and the way his body language changes around you.  I also have ears, and I have heard the way that he talks to and about you.  My point is, even though Barry is technically just a friend, lately he has been acting like something else, something _more_."

Caitlin was quiet a moment as she raked her fingers through her main of hair.  Was Cisco right?  Has Barry been acting different recently?  She tried to think back, but couldn't be sure.  Before everything happened with Bates, being around Barry felt comfortable and natural, none of his actions or words seemed out of place.  Then again, if it is true that she felt so comfortable around him, and Cisco is also telling the truth about him acting more than friendly around her at the same time, then maybe that means being a couple is the right move and that she should tell Barry what she's feeling.  Caitlin bit her lip nervously as she considered all this.

"I- I will take what you said into consideration.  I just need more time to think."  She said finally, not ready to make an actual decision yet.

"Fair enough."  Cisco nodded, understanding that he just dumped quite a bit on her.

"And please... don't say anything to Barry about this conversation.  It stays between you and me, got it?"  She told him, voice serious.

"Yeah, yeah, or  you'll give me first-hand knowledge of your lobotomy skills.  I got it."  He nudged her playfully and winked.

"Glad we could reach an understanding." She smiled.

On that note, Cisco considered their moment to be over and went back to his desk to get some work done.   Caitlin did the same, returning to her blood samples.  It was quiet for a minute before Caitlin broke the silence with her voice.

"Cisco?"

"Yeah?"  He said, not looking away from his work.

"Thanks for the advice."  She smiled warmly.

He met her eyes then and smiled back.  "No problem."

Cisco returned his focus to the blueprints spread in front of him, while Caitlin returned hers to the computer that was still processing the samples.  She quickly got lost in her thoughts.  It was now two votes for talking to Barry, and one vote (her vote) for procrastination.  Caitlin sighed, feeling torn and a little depressed.  She really did like the idea of becoming something more with Barry, but the thought of actually telling him the truth about her feelings was scary, not to mention risky.  All in all, it was a risk she wasn't ready to take... not yet.  Too bad the universe had other ideas...


	3. The Truth Comes Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A run-in with Captain Cold and his sister ends up revealing Caitlin’s feelings for Barry to Barry. How will she handle it? Better yet, how will he handle it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my favorite chapter to write! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do! ;)

Two weeks had passed since her conversation with Cisco, and Caitlin still couldn't bring herself to tell Barry how she felt.  Not that there was a lot of time to do that anyway.  Wells has been escalating on the evil scale quickly, which is how they found themselves in the current situation: teaming up with Captain Cold.

Wells' latest plan was going to put the metahumans that Team Flash had already captured in jeopardy.  After they all agreed that they couldn't just let them die, Barry suggested moving them to Oliver Queen's personal jail on Lian Yu.  The only snag in the plan was they would need back up to make the transition.  Barry then further suggested they ask Captain Cold for help.  After a long argument about it, Barry eventually got his way, and eventually was able to persuade Captain Cold to temporarily join forces with them.  The two of them had struck a deal, and now Cold was in the lab, along with his sister, trying to make a game plan with Barry and the team.

Caitlin was only half listening while she was doing some research on her computer.  Honestly, she wasn't thrilled to be working with known villains, especially when one of them had previously kidnapped her, but she wanted to be supportive of Barry and his plan.  Besides, if Cisco and Joe could agree to working with them, then she could too, no matter how reluctant the agreement may be.

She could hear Barry, Joe, and Cold talking strategy at a table on the other side of the room.  Meanwhile, Cisco was at his desk a few feet behind Caitlin, chatting unenthusiastically with Cold's sister, Lisa.  Caitlin could hear their conversation pretty clearly, but was choosing to ignore it until something caught her attention.

"You're not still mad at me, Cisco, are you?"  Lisa cooed.  "I really _did_ enjoy kissing you."

"What?!"  Caitlin gasped, whipping her head around and spinning her chair 180 degrees to face the two, who she couldn't help notice were standing awfully close to each other.  "You _kissed_ her?!" She added, disbelief coursing through her veins.

"So?  _You_ kissed _Bates_."  Cisco replied to Caitlin, giving her an annoyed look.

"I thought he was _Barry_!" She fired back without thinking, then immediately recognized her error.  She pressed her lips together and winced before sneaking a peek over at the men in the corner of the room.  They were all staring at Caitlin with an amused look on their faces.  Well, Joe and Cold seemed amused.  Barry, on the other hand, looked completely stunned, like someone just told him he was the first pregnant man or something.

Caitlin just turned her gaze back to Cisco, who gave her a sympathetic look, and proceeded to rub her temple while she muttered to herself, "Oh, god."

She had pictured herself telling Barry the truth multiple times, but it never happened like this...in front of the team, in front of super villains, and completely on accident.  This was mortifying.  Her face was getting redder by the minute, and she didn't know what to do.

"I-I have to go." Caitlin stuttered before fast-walking out of the room.

They all stared at the door for a brief moment in awkward silence.  Suddenly, Cold spoke up.

"And that concludes today's episode of _All My Villains_." He said dryly.

Joe slapped his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing aloud, while Barry and Cisco gave Cold a hard look.  Lisa just watched them all with a quirked brow as she picked at her nails.

"Not quite." Barry said finally, then sped out of the room to find Caitlin.  As he raced around the building trying to find her, the only thing moving faster than his feet was his brain as Caitlin and Cisco's conversation replayed in his head.

**_You kissed her?!_ **

**_So?  You kissed Bates._ **

**_I thought he was Barry!_ **

What did that even mean?  Did Caitlin have feelings for him?  Did she want to kiss him?  Both?  Barry was just so confused.  Thanks to his speed, he didn't have much time to mull things over before finding Caitlin pacing on one of the mid-sized platforms in a nearby stairwell.

"Cait."  He called out, breaking her from her own thoughts.

She jumped, clasping a hand over her heart, before she responded, "Geez, Barry!"  She scolded.  "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Good thing you're a doctor."  He quipped as he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to lighten the mood.

She rolled her eyes, then just stood there looking at him.  They both stared at each other for a minute, taking the other in.  Both wore nervous expressions across their faces.

"So, what is going on, Cait?  What did you mean when you said you kissed Bates because you thought he was me?"

Caitlin let out a deep breath, before answering, "It's sort of complicated."

"Well, I'm a pretty smart guy, _and_ I have super speed... I think I'll be able to keep up."

Caitlin was smart too, so she knew that there was no way of getting out of this without telling the truth.  _Here goes nothing_.  She thought to herself.

"Do you remember when Bates tied you up and locked you in that closet?"  She asked.

"Yeah, I also remember you slapping me awake after."  He teased, flashing that adorable half-smile of his.  Caitlin smiled back before continuing on.

"Well, while you were unconscious, Bates showed up at the lab...as _you_."

Barry suddenly grew serious and concerned, moving forward a couple steps to get a better look at Caitlin.  He gave her a once-over, notice the tight, black and white, high-collared, sleeveless dress she was wearing.  Conservative, yet attractive.  Caitlin always had a way of being sexy and incredibly cute at the same time, which is something he has become more and more aware of over the past few months.  He didn't know when it officially started, but somewhere along the way, during all the chaos of his new post-coma life, Barry had fallen for Dr. Caitlin Snow.  He just didn't know what to do about it.  Just because you loved someone, it didn't mean that they would love you back.  He learned that the hard way with Iris, and it almost ruined their relationship.  Under no circumstances, did Barry want history to repeat itself with Caitlin.  Luckily, he had the Wells' stuff to keep him busy, to keep his mind busy, but moments like this made it hard to forget about his feelings and how important she was to him.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No, nothing like that.  We just talked."

"Oh."  Barry said, relief evident in his features, which Caitlin couldn't help but notice and think was oh so sweet.

"At first, he was trying to pump me for information, to see what we knew and what we could and would do about it, but then..."  She trailed off, avoiding his eyes.

"Then...what?"  He probed further, wanting to figure this whole thing out.

"Then he pulled me in close to him, gave me this look, and... he kissed me."

Caitlin finally locked eyes with him again to study his reaction.  His eyes widened a bit, but other than that he remained indifferent.

"For real?" He queried, slightly jealous of the metahuman and a bit happier that the man was dead.

She nodded and went on.  "And because I thought he was you... I let him."

"Why?"  The word left his mouth as soon as it popped into his head.  Barry couldn't stop himself, he had to know.  If she was getting at what he thought--what he _hoped_ \--she was getting at, then he had to hear her say it out loud.  His heart was beating a mile a minute as he waited for her response.

"At that moment, I wasn't sure."  Caitlin stated nervously, knowing what she was about to say next would change everything between them, one way or another.

"And _now_?"  Barry was desperate for the truth.

"And now... now I know that I let it happen because I have feelings for you."  She confessed.  "I didn't realize it until after the kiss, until I couldn't stop thinking about it, about you..."  Caitlin began pacing once again.  "but I don't expect anything from you.  I mean, I know you have feelings for Iris, so I don't expect you to like me back or--whoa!"

Caitlin didn't get to finish that thought before her ankle rolled and sent her stumbling off to the side.  She silently cursed her three and a half inch pumps as her body went careening toward the stairs.  Unfortunately, it was the staircase headed downward that she was aimed for.  Bracing herself for the bumpy and undoubtedly painful ride down, Caitlin closed her eyes.  As her arms flailed in the air, She waited for the first hard hit of the steps against her backside, but it never came.  Instead, the only thing she felt were Barry's hands encircling her forearms.

Barry yanked Caitlin forward towards himself and away from the steps.  Her body flew forward, smacking into his and knocking him into the wall a few inches behind him.  Barry steadied her by placing his hands on her hips, while Caitlin clutched his navy sweater for extra support.

"You okay?"  He questioned, tone serious to match the worried look on his face, not that Caitlin noticed.  She was too busy staring into Barry's sweater, catching her breath.  As she began to relax a bit, she splayed her hands across his chest and nodded.  The movement allowed her to feel his rapid heartbeat through the fabric of his shirt.  The pace caught Caitlin's attention, making her finally look up into Barry's eyes.  He gave her a tender look that made her wonder whether his heart was racing because of her almost falling down the stairs or because of their close proximity.  For Caitlin, it was definitely both.

"Thanks for saving me."  She said bashfully, feeling her cheeks flush.

"Always." He smiled sweetly.

They stared at each other a moment, knowing that they should probably let go, but neither of them wanted to.

"Look," Barry went on.  "about what you said before, about me liking you..."

Caitlin just cocked her head to the side and waited for him to continue as she tried not to react to the nervous patterns that his thumbs were making on her sides.

"The thing is... I _don't_ like you, Cait."  He explained.

"Oh."  She said, suddenly feeling deflated and breaking eye contact.

Barry gently grabbed her chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing her to look him in the eyes again.  He needed her full attention for what he was about to say next.

"I love you."  He finished, searching her face for a reaction other than surprise.

"For real?" Caitlin questioned hopefully, a small smile playing on her lips as she purposely used Barry's own personal catch phrase.

"Yeah,"  Barry chuckled and nodded.  "for real."

Her smile widened as she replied, "I love you too."

Unable to resist any longer, Barry pulled her in even closer for a long-overdue kiss.  Caitlin immediately responded, sliding her hands up and around his neck, deepening the kiss.  It was magical, a million times better than the kiss with "Fake Barry."

For the first time in a long time, Caitlin was completely and undeniably happy.  Then, again, why wouldn't she be?  She had a great job, great friends who were always there for her, and a really great guy who she was currently making-out with against a wall in the stairwell.  Yes, at the moment, life for Caitlin Snow was good, very good, and Barry's wasn't too shabby either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked my new additions! Please let me know what you think by leaving comments and kudos! I appreciate your appreciation! Above all, thanks for the support and share my stories with your friends! Love you all!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are welcome! Check out my tumblr page: hoffkk :)


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